


Marvelous

by dragonesdepapel



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Drabble Collection, F/M, Fluff, and adrien being happy, i just wanted to write adrien gushing about marinette tbh, that's important too
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-01-13
Updated: 2016-05-28
Packaged: 2018-05-13 20:20:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 6,023
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5715796
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dragonesdepapel/pseuds/dragonesdepapel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There's something about Marinette that just keeps drawing him in.<br/> </p><p>A series of drabbles that follows the progression of their relationship.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this short thing on a whim and somehow ended up mapping out a dozen more.

Marinette is strong. Sure, she’s not as strong as Ladybug but one couldn’t jump around Paris every day without gaining some serious muscle. She likes to work out sometimes, when she was too much pent-up stress and no akuma to release it. As Ladybug she feels like there’s nothing she can’t do but as Marinette she enjoys testing her limits.

So when Adrien hurts his ankle and everyone just stands around, deliberating the best way to get him inside school, she doesn’t hesitate. She loops one arm around his knees, the other one around his back and lifts him into her arms.  She manages exactly two steps forward before she realizes what she’s done. Apologies and justifications start falling from her mouth.

It takes Adrien a few seconds to assure her that it’s fine and that he’s thankful for her help. Only then she can start walking towards the building again. It doesn’t take much effort to keep the blond up in her arms, but she’s being careful, trying to avoid any clumsiness that could send them both to the floor. With her eyes focused on the path before her she doesn’t notice the amazed look on Adrien’s face. 


	2. Chapter 2

Marinette is kind. That’s something that anyone, even Adrien, can see. They barely talk but that doesn’t prevent him from noticing it. He could find traces of her kindness wherever he looked on their classroom.

A bag full of cookies is waiting for Max at his usual spot, like it had every day for the last week. He didn’t want to talk about it, but they all know that something has been troubling him. Rose is taking off her new favorite scarf. The previous one had been lost a few weeks ago, it flew away with the wind during a storm. The following day had brought a tired-looking Marinette holding a small gift box. They have a test on the next period and Myléne is clutching a rather rudimentary stuffed wolf.

Of course her penchant for giving her classmates small gifts from time to time isn’t the only thing that marks Marinette as a kind person. Adrien remembers his first day of school, the fear and excitement mixing together in a cocktail of sensations that made him want to throw up. He arrived early, as he was used to do, and thought he would be the first one there. But two girls were already in the classroom when he got to it, a redhead and a dark haired girl. The redhead was clearly in the middle of telling a very animated story and didn’t seem to notice his entrance. The other girl did. She didn’t say anything but she offered a smile and the smallest of waves.

Nino had been his first real friend, but Marinette was his first friendly gesture in a strange place. It might not have been much, but Adrien’s life hadn’t exactly been swarmed by those so he treasured every single one of them.


	3. Chapter 3

Marinette is a great leader. Adrien doesn’t learn this by himself, he hears it from almost everyone on their classroom. Although he could believe it from the stories they all tell him, he has yet to see her in action. The thing is, most of the situations that involve her being in charge also entail an akuma. Even if he’d like nothing more than to stay with his friends to make sure they are ok he knows he’s far more useful as Chat Noir in those occasions.

One day a storm hits and the power goes out. They are staying at the school after hours again and there are not many adults left. They are told to sit still and wait. Which is, of course, not the best move that the teachers could have made. Nobody really wants to stay but the rain keeps pouring down and the wind is too strong for it to be safe.

Chaos breaks in the classroom. Half of the class wants to risk it and go outside, the others say to wait until the teachers come back. It grows until it’s just a shouting match and the first daring kids are approaching the door, ready to leave.

And then Marinette stands up and takes control of the situation.  She dissuades the ones that wanted to go out and calms things down. She makes everyone call their parents to explain the situation. She even manages to convince both, Clhoé and the mayor that the best for the blonde is to stay inside until the storm dies down.

But she doesn’t stop there. She finds the teachers that are still around and coordinates their efforts. She distributes food and compiles a list of everyone’s parents’ numbers in case cellphones start running out of battery. She makes sure everyone is comfortable.

She handles everything with so much proficiency and attention to detail that one might think that they are going to be trapped there for months instead of a few hours. She exhibits such confidence and resolution that Adrien feels drawn to her. Like if he stands close enough a bit of her prowess might stick to him. He offers his assistance and expends the rest of the afternoon following her around, taking care of anything she needs.

He realizes pretty early that she doesn’t babble nearly as much as she usually does while he’s helping her. It all comes crashing down once the skies clear and he turns to say his goodbyes. He’s sure she’ll stay there until every one of their classmates has been picked up. He’d like to stay too but storm or not, he has to respect his curfew. He waits patiently while she stumbles over all the words she needs to thank him for his help. He replies that it was no problem. Part of him feels like he should be the one thanking her. But he’s not sure of what exactly he is thankful for, so he doesn’t mention it.


	4. Chapter 4

Marinette is an amazing designer. He finds out about it because of his father’s contest but he doesn’t give it much thought at the time. He just archives it as one of the few things he knows about his classmate.

Alya’s birthday rolls around and Marinette presents her with a black jacket. The redhead is immediately smitten with her gift. She puts it on without hesitation and expends the rest of the day proudly showing it off to anyone who crosses her path. She catches Adrien looking at it in one of their free periods and hands it to him without questions.

The model might not be able to create things like his father does, but he’s been in the fashion industry long enough to recognize talent when he sees it. It’s true that he can’t attest her abilities just from one jacket but he remembers her hat and her sketches so he can safely assume that she’s good. Probably more than good, if she had what it took to impress Gabriel Agreste.

One thing is clear, Marinette poured her heart into making this jacket. Care and dedication are sewn into every stitch. He knows that Alya can see it too, even if she has admitted to being clueless at sewing despite her years of being around Marinette. He gives it back, offering his compliments to the designer, and asks a few questions. Marinette blushes but manages to stammer her way into some coherent answers.

It turns into a game after that. He finds himself eyeing his classmate, trying to figure out if she’s wearing one of her creations. He quickly expands his search to the rest of the class because he knows that she usually gives them as small presents.

He can’t always know if he is right, if he has successfully recognized her work, but that doesn’t stop him from trying. Still, he figures out pretty early that all he has to do is compliment the garment in question and he’ll usually receive a thank you and a reference to Marinette.

Juleka gets some arm socks for her birthday and Kim a new beanie. Sometimes her skills take a different form, like when she makes Nathanaël a tablet case. He is particularly proud when he notices her handwork in one of Rose’s skirts. Alya is by far the easiest. She will just outright confirm that she is wearing one of her friend’s gifts if she catches Adrien surveying her.

He knows that he wouldn’t be able to explain why he is showing so much interest in Marinette’s craft if someone asked him to. At least it gives him something to do whenever his gaze is relentlessly drawn towards her.


	5. Chapter 5

Marinette is insecure. That comes as a surprise. Maybe it shouldn’t. After all, she’s only human and he knows better than anyone that appearances mean nothing.  But the truth is that the thought that she could feel like less than what she is had never crossed his mind.

The day he finds out about it, Adrien leaves the library afer spending most of his day there. It’s exam week so he’s been studying all afternoon. He regrets not asking his driver to pick him up. He usually tries to walk home alone as much as possible but this time he should have made an exception. Between the tests, his photoshoots and the ever present akumas he has barely had time to rest these past few days. But he’s used to the sleepless nights and the pressure so he knows that he’ll be able to pull through. Doesn’t mean he enjoys it, though.

He rounds a corner and spots Marinette a few steps ahead. He is about to call her name when he sees her slip and fall to the ground. She lands on her knees and hands and Adrien picks up his pace to help her. She doesn’t move in the time it takes him to get to her. He kneels next to her, asking if she’s ok. She turns towards him and that’s when he realizes that something isn’t quite right. The girl has a strange look on her face. The friendly glint that usually graces her eyes is gone and her lip is trembling.

Marinette shakes her head rather violently for an answer. She sits down and reaches for her backpack. It fell into a puddle in front of her. The boy tries saying her name but she doesn’t even look at him as she starts mechanically pulling things out of her bag. He notices that her hands are shaking slightly.

“Marinette, please, what’s wrong?” he asks, gently grabbing one of her hands, trying to catch her attention.

Which seems like the wrong thing to do because Marinette quickly removes her hand and covers her face with it. It does nothing to conceal the fact that she has started crying. Profusely. Big tears fall from her eyes and run down her cheeks. The shaking has spread to her whole body now and her breathing is erratic.

Adrien watches speechless as his sweet, usually energetic, classmate falls apart in front of him. He’s completely shocked by her actions and he’s not sure what he can do to help. So he asks her.

“Just… just leave me alone Adrien” she manages to get out between sobs.

The blond is used to do what other people ask of him, but he outright refuses to leave the girl crying alone in the middle of the sidewalk and he tells her so.

“Stop Adrien. Stop. I’m not worth it ok? I’m not worth your time or anyone else’s for that matter” she spits out, her face still covered. “No Adrien, I’m not. I’m crying because my backpack got wet for god’s sake!” she continues when he tries to assure her that her words aren’t true. ”Of course you shouldn’t waste your time with me! I’m just Marinette. Clumsy, silly, awkward Marinette. I can’t handle my backpack falling into a puddle like I can’t handle anything else. I’m trying, I swear I’m trying but I just can’t! I’ve been pretending that everything is fine but it’s not because I’m not her and I will never be. She’s a lie and I’m a lie and everything I do is a lie!”

Her crying gains intensity after that. Adrien absently wonders about who she could be talking about but discards the thought almost as soon as it comes. That’s not what matters at the moment.

He tries to take her hands from where she’s forcefully pressing them against her face but she resists. Changing tactics, he scoots closer to her until their legs touch. One hand goes to the back of her head and he carefully guides her until her forehead is resting against his shoulder. He tries removing her hands again and is relieved when she lets him.

He waits patiently while she cries on his shoulder. He knows that sometimes the best thing to do is to let everything out. After a few minutes her sobbing stops. He waits a little longer, until her shaking stops as well. She makes no move to get up.

“Better?” he asks.

“Better” she confirms. It takes her two tries though, because her voice breaks the first time she attemps to get the word out.

“You don’t have to hide. We’ve been under a lot of stress lately and no one can be unaffected by it. There’s nothing to be ashamed of.”

“I’m sorry” she says so quietly that he’s sure he wouldn’t have heard it if her mouth wasn’t so close to his ear.

“You don’t have to apologize either” he replies firmly.

She takes a deep intake of breath and releases it slowly before pulling away from him and getting to her feet. She gingerly starts picking up her stuff and he helps her. It takes some persuasion but in the end Adrien is allowed to walk her home.

They walk in silence and Adrien uses the time to mull over what his next move should be. He wants to offer some reassurance but she’s still vulnerable and embarrassed. One misstep would be all it took to get her to shut him out completely.

He makes up his mind as they arrive to the bakery. He reaches for her before she has time to sneak inside and envelopes her in a hug. It might be a risky move but he knows that it will be easier for her to accept his words if she doesn’t have to look at him in the eye.

“Marinette, you are an amazing person. You might not feel like it at the moment but you are strong and you will get through this. I don’t know who you were talking about earlier, but I don’t need to to know that you are enough just as you are. Just hold on tight, I promise you will be ok.”

He gives her a light squeeze before releasing her. He immediately turns to leave without waiting for an answer. It takes all of his self-control not to turn around to have a last look at her face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm feeling pretty insecure about this one myself, maybe it was too much?


	6. Chapter 6

Marinette is brave. She had proven this countless times before. Akuma attacks, fights with Chloé, that one time she climbed a really high tree to rescue a stray kitten. So her attitude after her little breakdown doesn’t surprise him at all.

Ok, it surprises him a bit. But not because he doesn’t believe in her, thank you very much. It’s because he doesn’t trust himself. After all, he still has no idea why the girl has such a hard time trying to talk to him. For all he knows it could be because she doesn’t like him, or because he makes her uncomfortable. And if that was the reason behind her stuttering, catching her crying uncontrollably wouldn’t exactly help matters.

So yeah, he spent a lot of time worrying about her that night. Mostly because he wanted to know how she was feeling. Did she had to cry herself to sleep? Did she find the strength pull through? Were her eyes shining with her usual determination when she finally sat down to deal with whatever it was that was affecting her so much? Had his words helped her at all? Did he make matters worse?

It had been a long night. He wished for nothing more than to know that she was ok. He would have stayed with her all night if he thought it would have helped her. But he knew better. Marinette didn’t need his solicitude. She needed to calm down and recover her motivation. And Adrien had already done all he could do to aid her in that.

He saved some of his pondering for more selfish matters. What would it mean for their relationship? If there was enough of it to call it that. Despite the girl’s babbling, she had always been friendly to him. They had hung out after school quite a few times, as a result of their shared friends. It seemed like they had finally been on track to form a real friendship themselves. Would all of that be lost now? What if she couldn’t stand looking him in the eye – a thing that she had already trouble with – after that day’s events?

However tentative their friendship was, it meant a lot to him. Marinette meant a lot to him. He didn’t know why, but the fact that he had been thinking about her all night was prove enough of her influence over him.  It would pain him to forever loose the chance to grow closer to her. To him, Marinette meant warmth and kindness and happiness. And he was not ashamed to admit that he craved all that. 

But no matter how much he longed for a more permanent presence in her life, he would never resort to making the girl uncomfortable. If she wanted nothing to do with him after this, be it because of shame or regret or something else, he would respect her wishes.

However, he had to make sure that the girl didn’t believe that his actions had been born out of pity. That his words had been lies conceived to get her to calm down like one would do with a child. Or even worse, that _he_ didn’t want anything to do with her. That he was somehow repelled by her behavior or that he thought less of her in any way.

He planned for multiple scenarios. He would give her space if that’s what she wanted, but he would still be as friendly as ever. He would be particularly encouraging if she didn’t pull away from him. He would offer her his assistance in whatever she needed if he thought that she would welcome it.

He really shouldn’t have worried so much.

Because Marinette is brave and she has impressive resolve and she walks in the next morning with confidence in her step and conviction in her eyes. She mirrors his greeting with as much cheerfulness as she usually does. She takes part in the conversation he had been having with Nino and Alya like the tiredness he can see in her face doesn't mean anything. She catches him studying her and answers with a wink and a reassuring smile.

Marinette holds him up when everyone heads out for lunch.

“I wanted to thank you for yesterday. You are really nice. I mean, you were really nice. To me. Yesterday” she pauses for a second, trying to organize her thoughts. “And I appreciated it a lot. So, here” she says and hands him a paper bag that smells suspiciously of baked goods.

“Thank you Marinette, you didn’t have to” he says as he takes the bag and takes a look inside.

“And you didn’t have to hold me while I was crying but you did anyway, Adrien. I didn’t know what you liked so I grabbed a bit of everything. I brought some for Alya and Nino too. They’ll enjoy having something to stress eat other than those cereal bars they always carry around.”

She is giving him an out. A chance to change the topic and move on. But it doesn't feel right to just sweep everything under the rug and pretend it never happened. Adrien wants to know if she’s ok, and he wants to offer his support because ignoring the problem won’t make it go away.

“I’m sure I’ll love everything, I have quite a sweet tooth.” He hopes that his next words won’t erase the smile that appears on her face after hearing that. “You know you can always tell me if you need anything, right? I know we are not all that close but… I consider you my friend. If you need help or someone to talk to, you can come to me.”

 “Thanks Adrien, it means a lot. But don’t worry about it, I’m feeling better now. I was just really stressed. Between the exams and helping out at the bakery and… stuff, it felt like too much.”

“Yeah, I know what you mean” he said with a reassuring smile.

“See, that’s what I’m talking about” she replies, some exasperation in her voice. “You have all these things going on. Photoshoots, school, and like a million extracurricular activities. And I can’t have a little more on my plate than I’m used to without freaking out.” By now she’s on full ranting mode, her irritation with herself evident in every expression that her face makes. Then she seems to realize what she’s saying and horror takes over. “I mean... I’m not saying it’s _easy_ for you or that you can’t freak out sometimes, just that…”

“That you don’t deserve to feel stressed because some people have it worse than you? Please, tell me you don’t really believe that. Whatever everyone else goes through doesn’t make your problems any less valid.” He tries to make eye contact with her but she pointedly avoids his gaze. “It doesn’t” he repeats, more firmly. “Marinette, if it bothers you, then it’s important. You don’t need to fill some quota of suffering to warrant the right to be upset.”

“Yeah, I know.”

She doesn’t. He can see it in her downcast eyes and forced smile. He heard her say that she wasn’t worth it just a few hours ago but her words still hit him like a punch in the gut. How could she think so little of herself? How could she believe that her feelings doesn't matter? She, who always tries to comfort everyone, who doesn’t think twice before acting if it will put a smile on someone else's face.

He wants her to know how important she is. He wants her to never doubt her value again. Out of everyone in their class, he’s convinced she’s the one who deserves it the most. How could he not, when he knows how compassionate she is? But it’s not something that can be achieved with a few claims made over the lunch period by her kinda sorta friend. So he lets the topic drop for now and focuses on something else.

“Well, I’ve had years to practice managing a packed schedule. I could help, if you want.”

“I think that would be ok, thank you.”


	7. Chapter 7

Marinette is funny. At first it was something that Adrien wished he didn’t know. He’s not trying to be mean, it’s just that is pretty inconvenient. The girl sits behind him so he always gets glimpses of her conversations with her best friend. Trust him, he tries not to listen, he knows the value of discretion, but sometimes it’s inevitable.

So he was familiarized with her sense of humor before they got to be friends. It came mostly in the form of witty remarks about whatever was happening in the classroom. Usually just one sentence, delivered at the perfect time with the right inflection. She was never mean, even if they were supposed to only be heard by the red head next to her.

But he heard them too and that was a problem. He was sitting on the front row, he couldn’t just burst out laughing in the middle of class without being noticed. Not to mention that the girls behind him would surely realize the cause of his amusement and it would be mortifying to be caught eavesdropping like that.

Luckily for him, he was used to keeping himself in check. But there had been a few close calls. The thing about Marinette’s quips was that they always came at the most unexpected moment. He had to excuse himself from class one time, faking a need to go to the bathroom, because he knew he couldn’t hold his chuckles back any longer.

He still has to keep pretending that he doesn’t hear her whenever she delivers one of her devastatingly hilarious retorts in class, but now he gets to appreciate her wit in all its glory. It took a while, but as her babbling fade away her sense of humor surfaced. It seems like he’ll never stop reaping the blessings of getting to know her better.

One day she starts bantering with Alya while he’s looking at his schedule. He’s not taking part in the conversation but he is paying attention. Marinette gives one of her comebacks and Adrien completely loses it. To be fair, Alya has an answer ready, but it’s drowned out by the sound of the model’s laughter. Some part of him registers that he’s being way too loud and that his behavior is indecorous. He can’t really bring himself to care.

He laughs so much that he runs out of breath and his stomach starts to hurt. When he’s done and he can finally stand straight he discovers that Marinette’s delighted expression makes him feel breathless for a completely different reason.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to thank you all who leave comments and kudos on this story. I'm not so good at handling it, but I really appreciate them and they make me very happy.

 

Marinette admires his father. How could she not when he’s one of the most talented designers in the world and she wants to be a designer herself? She idolizes him and probably fantasizes about getting an internship at his company one day. It’s to be expected.

They don’t talk much about him. It’s not like Adrien has much to share on the subject and she would never bring it up by herself. But he’s featured in some of their long conversations about fashion. It’s inevitable for him to be mentioned from time to time, especially when Marinette gets sidetracked from the original topic and ends up babbling about anything and everything.

Adrien would never admit it, but he’s the one responsible for most of her rambles. He revels in hearing her talk with so much passion. She could do it for hours, never running out of things to say. It’s not that she does it with a huge smile on her face or that she oozes happiness on those occasions but still, there’s something fascinating about it. She looks so comfortable, so at ease. He supposes it’s only natural given that being in the fashion industry is her biggest dream, but it’s not like he has anything of his own to compare. Nevertheless, he’s glad that he has enough knowledge on the subject to discuss it with her.

The model doesn’t notice that she gradually abandons any mention of Mr. Agreste. She keeps talking about his work or his designs, but never naming him directly. He does catch, however, the unusually severe expression she wears the afternoon they go to his house. It’s hard not to when it stays on her face for the ten minutes they have to stand in the entrance while Nathalie lectures him on the importance of not deviating from his schedule. (There had been an attack the day before, making him loose his fencing class and get late to a photoshoot.) Even his father shows up that day. He doesn’t stay for long, just enough to reinforce Nathalie’s message.

It’s not like Adrien isn’t paying attention to them but really, he’s heard this speech a thousand times before. Marinette’s barely concealed frown is a much more interesting thing to focus on. He decides to ask her once they are safe behind his bedroom door. After all, he’s her friend, he doesn’t like it when she’s upset.

But he never gets around to question her about it. The moment they get to his room her face breaks into a cheerful smile that can’t possibly be caused by the task that awaits them. She drags him to the desk and wastes no time in getting down to work.

Adrien doesn’t think he ever had that much fun doing homework.

Weeks after that, he has all but forgotten about her strange attitude. They are walking down the street, heading towards Alya’s place to work in a science project. He’s telling some silly story about how he had sneaked into his kitchen in the middle of the night. He had managed to spill half the contents of his fridge in his search for a snack and had rushed to fix the mess before someone noticed. (He had actually been looking for camembert, but there was no way he would imply that he liked the stuff.)

It’s not a story about his father but he did make an appearance. Right when he was going up the stairs to his room, cheese hidden sloppily behind his back, thinking that he had gotten away with it. Adrien had panicked, thinking that he was about to get caught and get the lecture of his life. Luckily for him, his father had been busy and didn’t pay him any attention.

He’s about to deliver the final line to his story (it’s a pun, and it’s _great_ ) when he feels a tug at his sleeve and discovers that Marinette has stopped walking. Before he has time to ask what’s wrong she puts both of her hands on either side of his face and gently draws it closer to hers.

Adrien swears his heart stops beating for a moment. Then it starts again, with twice the speed it had before. It probably takes him a second longer than needed to realize that she’s trying to look him in the eye.

“Listen to me Adrien. You deserve attention and love and someone to care for you. Everyone does, but specially someone as nice and kind as you. You do everything right. You do everything he asks for and everything he doesn’t. You could screw up spectacularly and still deserve his love, but you don’t.  You are the perfect son and the perfect student and the perfect model. So nothing, and I repeat, _nothing_ about his behavior is your fault. I hope that one day he realizes how lucky he is to have you but if he doesn’t, it’s his loss.”

She lets him go after that, walking a few steps ahead. He is grateful for the space because it takes him a while to pull himself together. He gets to her side when he’s done. She doesn’t say anything, doesn’t even catch his eye, but she offers him a timid hand and he grabs it without hesitation. She gives him a strong squeeze before they take off towards Alya’s again. Their hands stay together for the remainder of the walk. 


	9. Chapter 9

Marinette is not the best baker, he realizes. That doesn’t mean that her cooking is bad though. Everything she makes is absolutely delicious, and don’t get him started on her decorations. No, the problem with Marinette’s baking is not her skills or her technique. It’s her inability to deviate from the recipes.

It is kind of ironic that someone as resourceful as her has such a hard time thinking outside the box while doing something that has been part of her life since she was a child. But maybe that’s precisely why she can’t do it. No matter how permissive and flexible the Dupain-Cheng were, they couldn’t leave a kid running free in their bakery without a strong set of rules. She knows their most used recipes by heart and he imagines she was taught to follow them to the letter without exception. Safety concerns must have been drilled into her head since she was old enough to understand them.

It doesn’t sadden him, this limitation. Sure, she might not grow to be a world renowned chef like her uncle but that’s not something she would want anyway. She cooks to help her parents out, or to treat her friends to something sweet. It’s something that she enjoys, but not something she would devote her life to. He knows this because she has told him so. But she hadn’t told him the most important reason she liked to bake until that afternoon.

She had approached him after class and said “I’m having a bad week like you and I know you have the rest of the day off so you are coming to my house and we are making cookies” before practically dragging him to the bakery.

He had not known exactly how baking would help but the truth was that he would try anything as long as it was Marinette suggesting it. (He had not known how she knew that he was having a bad week either but he had long accepted that there were things that he couldn’t hide from her.)

Now, as he watches her he can see the reason she proposed it.

The neat set of instructions offers her a break from her usual over-thinking. She doesn’t need to come up with any solutions because someone has already gone through all that trouble and given them to her in clear, easy steps. Her mind and hands are focused on the task, and she could think about anything else if she wanted to, but she chooses not to, letting the familiar motions ground her.

She guides him through each step, and at some point he realizes she’s teaching him. And he’s paying attention, of course he is, but he’s also completely awed by her. Her usual clumsiness all but disappears as she whisks and measures. Adrien has seen this side of her before, when conflicts and crisis call for it, and he should have known that he would find it again here, among the eggs and the flour.

Still, he has to try really hard not to laugh at the confusion that takes over her face when he makes a suggestion.

“Do you want to make almond cookies?”

“No, I want to add almonds to the chocolate chip cookies.”

She looks completely distraught for a second and Adrien feels warmth flood him at the thought that she could care so much about his cookie preference.

“I don’t know a recipe for that.”

“How about we just add half the necessary chocolate chips and then complete the other half with crushed almonds?”

Now she’s looking at him like Ladybug does when he offers a particularly dumb plan and that doesn't exactly help him with the whole not laughing at her face thing. It’s not that he wants to laugh _at_ her, it’s just that her face is far too expressive for her own good.  

“Almonds and chocolate chips are not the same thing Adrien. You can’t just interchange them.”

“Then we’ll add half the chips and then we’ll pour the almonds slowly until it looks right.” She doesn’t look convinced so he gives her the best pout he can manage. “Please?”

She caves in and instructs him to grab the almonds and start chopping them. 

Later, when the last tray of cookies is in the oven, she turns to look at him.

“Feeling better?”

It’s been years since order and structure stopped offering him the comfort of certainty. Color-coded schedules and lists of chores delivered over breakfast feel like a prison he can only scape wearing a mask and black leather. But Marinette’s laughter from when he accidentally cracked an egg in his hand is still ringing in his ears and she’s smiling at him, clearly feeling better herself. There’s a smudge of flour on her cheek that he hasn’t been brave enough to wipe off himself.

“Yes, much better. Thank you.”

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Musings](https://archiveofourown.org/works/11294916) by [Socksareforcavemen](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Socksareforcavemen/pseuds/Socksareforcavemen)




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